Means for suspending files or folders in a filing cabinet

ABSTRACT

Means for suspending files or folders in a filing cabinet, having a fixing shelving is spaced relationship. The front edge of the shelving is bend into a ledge or rail for supporting the file or folders which have a suspension device.

United States Patent Ohlsson [151 3,680,938 1451 Aug. 1,1972

[54] MEANS FOR SUSPENDING FILES OR FOLDERS IN A FILING CABINET [72] Inventor: Kurt L. Ohlsson, Moravagen 27,

- 161 42 Bromma, Sweden [22] Filed: June9, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 44,736

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 16, 1969 Sweden ..8511/69 [52] US. CL. ..312/184, 211/176 [51] Int. Cl. ..A42b 17/00, B42f 15/00, A47f 5/10 [58] Field of Search ..312/184; 211/176 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS v 2,707,564 5/1955 Smith ..211/176X 3,330,229 7/1967 Ferdinand ..211/176 X 2,165,157 7/1939 Smith 312/184,

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 891,489 3/1962 Great Britain ..312/184 1 ,020,846 2/1966 Great Britain ..3 12/184 1,207,338 9/1961 Germany ..312/184 660,358 7/1929 France ..312/184 Primary Examiner-Paul R. Gilliam I Attorney-Munson & Fiddler 5 7] ABSTRACT Means for suspending files or folders in a filing cabinet, having a fixing shelving is spaced relationship. The front edge of the shelving is bend into a ledge or rail for supporting the file or folders which have a suspension device.

1 Claim, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEnAus 1 I972 3.680.938

sum 1 or 2 I KURT LENNART OHLSSON -53 INVENTOR.

BY :wzisoz: & FIDDLER,

Attorneys PATENTEDMIB 1 1972 sum 2 or 2 KURT LENNART OHLSSON MUNSON & FIDDLER,

.Xttsrneys.

MEANS FOR SUSPENDING FILES OR FOLDERS IN 4a for A FILING CABINET FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a filing system of the kind comprising a filing cabinet or stand having horizontal supporting rails or ledges therein from which correspondence files or folders are suspended by hook-like suspension devices fixed to said files or folders.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The known filing systems of this kind have the disadvantage that the supporting rails or ledges in the cabinet or stand were not easily visible, particularly those in the lower part of the cabinet or stand, and in some instances not easily accessible. This sometimes made it difficult to hook the files or folders onto the rails or ledges in the cabinet or stand, it being necessary to first put a file or folder into the cabinet or stand in a horizontal direction and then raise it vertically to hook it onto the rail; a procedure which is not simple when the rail is not easily visible or accessible.

The object of the present invention is to overcome this disadvantage by constructing and arranging the file or folder suspension device and the supporting rack or ledge in such a manner that the hook portion of the suspension device is guided automatically onto said rail or ledge when the file or folder is introduced into the cabinet or stand in a horizontal direction.

With this object in view the filing system according to the invention comprises a filing cabinet or stand having support means therein for supporting correspondence files or folders, wherein each file or folder is provided at its upper edge with a suspension device comprising a hook portion and an upper guide edge and said support means comprises a supporting rail or ledge over which the hook portion of the suspension device engages and a cam or nose portion spaced from and positioned in a plane above that of the supporting rail or ledge and adapted to coact with the guide edge of said suspension device to guide the hook portion of said suspension device into cooperative engagement with said supporting rail or ledge when the file or folder is being introduced into the cabinet or stand and to retain said file or folder in horizontal position when suspended from said supporting rail or ledge.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In order that the invention may be more clearly understood one particular embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stand or the inner parts of a filing cabinet for correspondence files or folders;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the supporting and suspension means for suspending the files or folders in the stand or cabinet; and

FIGS. 3 to 6 are sectional views illustrating means for supporting the file or folders supporting rails or ledges and shelving in a filing stand or cabinet.

Referring to'FIG. 1 of these drawings a filing stand, or the internal structural parts of a filing cabinet, comprises four uprights 1, 2, 3 and 4, each provided with a plurality of vertically spaced notches or apertures 3a,

receiving fixing members (hereinafter described) for fixing shelving 5, 6 in predetermined vertically spaced relationship. It will be understood that the number of shelves 5, 6 used and the vertical spacing of said shelves will be dependent upon the size of the files or folders to be accommodated in the stand or cabinet.

Referring now to FIG. 2, which is a side elevation of the shelf 5 of FIG. 1, the shelf is made from sheet metal and has two opposite sides bent downwards as shown at 5a to form marginal reinforcement flanges to render the shelf more rigid. One side of the shelf is bent into the form shown to provide a ledge 57 or rail for supporting a correspondence file or folder 7 in the cabinet or stand and a guiding surface 52 and cam or nose portion 53 for guiding a suspension device on the file or folder onto said ledge or rail as hereinafter described. The side of the shelf is bent so as to form a marginal portion 51 extending vertically downwards, a downwardly and inwardly inclined portion 52, an upwardly inclined portion 54, a horizontal portion 55 parallel to and in contact with the under-surface of the shelf, a further downwardly extending portion 56 terminating at its edge into a slightly upwardly inclined flange portion 57 which forms the file or folder supporting rail or ledge. The inclined portions 52 and 54 together form the nose or cam portion 53 which is spaced from the ledge portion 57 as shown and situated in a horizontal plane slightly above the plane of said ledge portion 57.

The suspension device for suspending a file or folder 7 on the ledge 57 or rail of the support means consists of a flat plate of metal, plastics or other rigid material attached to the file or folder near one corner thereof by means of rivets 74, or in any other suitable manner. The upper edge of the suspension device is downwardly and outwardly inclined, relative to the top edge 7a of the file or folder 7, from a hook portion 71 and forms a guide edge which cooperates with the nose or cam portion 53 to guide the hook portion 71 onto the supporting ledge 57 or rail as hereinafter described. At the hook portion 71 there is also provided an inclined guide edge 73 which, as hereinafter described, assists in guiding the hook portion -71 onto the ledge 57 or rail.

The shelves of the filing cabinet or stand, with their file or folder support means, are supported between the uprights l, 2, 3, 4 by means of resilient fixing members as illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 6.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 a resilient substantially V-shaped fixing member 58 is sprung into an aperture 59a in the marginal flange 59 of the shelf 5 and outwardly bent portions at the ends of the legs of the V engage in the apertures 3a, 4a (FIG. 1) in the vertical uprights 3, 4.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 substantially U-shaped resilient members 58, 580 are provided at the free ends of the legs of the U with outwardly bent flanges and one of the legs of the U is shorter than the other. The flange of the shorter leg of the U is welded to the inner surface of the marginal flange 59 or the shelf and the longer leg of the U projects through an aperture in said marginal flange 59 and the outwardly projecting flange of said longer leg engages in notches or apertures in the uprights I and 4 of the filing cabinet or stand. In order to fit the shelf in position between the uprights 1 and 4 the outwardly projecting flange of the longer leg of the U-shaped resilient fixing member 58a is placed in a notch or aperture in the upright 4-and the shelf is then pressed in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 4, against the spring action of the U-shaped resilient member 58a, whereby the outwardly directed flange at the end of the longer leg of the resilient fixing member 58 can be moved into alignment with a notch or aperture in the upright 1 and, due to the resilience of the fixing member, will spring into said notch or aperture to the position shown in FIG. 5.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 the resilient fixing members 58b, 580 are similar to the fixing members 58, 58a of the FIG. embodiment but modified for use with a wooden shelf. In this embodiment the fixing member projects bodily into a recess in the wooden shelf and is fixed therein by means of an outwardly projecting prong. The fixing memberv is otherwise constructed and functions in a similar manner to the FIG. 5 embodiment.

The file or folder suspension and support means illustrated in FIG. 2 functions as follows: A file or folder 7 with a suspension device according to the invention fixed near one corner thereof as shown is introduced into the filing cabinet or stand in the direction of arrow P between the shelves 5 and 6 (FIG. 1). As the file or folder is moved into the cabinet or stand the hook portion of the file or folder suspension device engages the inclined guide surface 52 of the support means and is thus guided towards the support ledge 57. As the inward movement of the file or folder processes, the inclined guide edge 72 of the suspension device slides under the nose or cam portion 53 of the support means causing the file or folder to tilt or lift slightly to move the hook portion 71 into a better position to engage the support ledge 57. Further inward movement of the file or folder brings the guide edge 73 of the hook portion 71 above or into contact with the edge of the support ledge 57 thereby ensuring that the hook portion effectively engages over the support ledge to support the file or folder in the cabinet or stand.

When the files or folder is thus suspended from the support ledge 57 it will tend to tilt and its forward end, that is the end opposite to that to which the suspension device is attached, will tend to drop. This tendency will however be prevented by the guide surface 72 of the suspension device co-acting with cam or nose portion 53 of the support means.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment herein described but may be modified in details of construction without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A filing system comprising, a filing cabinet 7 or stand having a support means therein for supporting files or folders, each file or folder being provided at its upper edge with a suspension device comprising a plate having a hook portion and an inclined guide edge, the hook portion being located at one end of the plate, the hook portion and guide edge being disposed above the top edge of a folder, said support means including a supporting rail or ledge over which the hook portion of l'ilaifigilfih i di fiifi eilfi i tllltlirll o fiil ing channel into which the hook portion extends when the hook portion engages with the rail, one of the walls of the channel being inclined and having an angular extension projecting from it upwardly and in a direction away from the inclined edge of the plate, said angular part defining a nose located at the channel and which nose contacts with the inclined edge of the guide plate at a point adjacent to the hook when the hook portion extends over the supporting rail, the angular part of the support means having a part constituting a cam portion which coacts with the inclined guide edge of the suspension device to guide the hook portion of the suspension device into co-operative engagement with the supporting ledge when the tile or folder is being introduced into the cabinet or stand and to retain said file or folder in horizontal position when suspended from the supporting ledge. 

1. A filing system comprising, a filing cabinet or stand having a support means therein for supporting files or folders, each file or folder being provided at its upper edge with a suspension device comprising a plate having a hook portion and an inclined guide edge, the hook portion being located at one end of the plate, the hook portion and guide edge being disposed above the top edge of a folder, said support means including a supporting rail or ledge over which the hook portion of the suspension device engages, the support having walls extending from the ledge to define a downwardly opening channel into which the hook portion extends when the hook portion engages with the rail, one of the walls of the channel being inclined and having an angular extension projecting from it upwardly and in a direction away from the inclined edge of the plate, said angular part defining a nose located at the channel and which nose contacts with the inclined edge of the guide plate at a point adjacent to the hook when the hook portion extends over the supporting rail, the angular part of the support means having a part constituting a cam portion which coacts with the inclined guide edge of the suspension device to guide the hook portion of the suspension device into co-operative engagement with the supporting ledge when the file or folder is being introduced into the cabinet or stand and to retain said file or folder in horizontal position when suspended from the supporting ledge. 